INDIANS-6/1/03

THE BOTTOM LINE
By: Jason Wachs

What a month! In the month of May the Indians improved by leaps and bounds from their 7-20 April, to go two games over .500 at 14-12. No the Indians record isn’t back over .500 for the season, but the difference in play was truly amazing. They cut out numerous mental errors, and they played better in every aspect of the game. Going two games over .500 every month of the season would probably win the Central Division because how pathetic it is. I am not saying the Indians will win the division or even come close, but second place isn’t unthinkable. The Tribe is in fourth place, and they are only 3.5 games behind the White Sox with three more games to play against them in their current series. The Royals are only 2.5 games ahead of the White Sox, and are only one game over .500. The Royals suck, and will probably finish fourth in the division maybe third depending on how low the White Sox stoop. The point isn’t about the records, because that really doesn’t matter, but the fact that like I said they would the Indians are improving even week by week, and as long as they continue to do that I really have no complaints. I never would have thought they would have a month this good until later in the season, so maybe they WILL be better than I thought. Especially since the Cavs get LeBron! The jinx on Cleveland sports is off! (Knock on wood, crossing fingers……)

Milton is the man! Milton has now reached base in 38 of the 39 games he has played in, and is batting .342. Here are more impressive stats: 15 doubles, 5 stolen bases, .446 OBP, .973 OPS, 26 runs, and most of all his clutch hitting. The only other person’s name that should be mentioned for the Indians All-star is C.C. Sabathia, whom if he had much run support at all he could very easily be 7-1, because of his 2.92 ERA. C.C. is 4-2, but he has yet to give up more than four runs in a game once, and he only gave up four once. That is amazing! His shortest outing of the year came earlier this week when he only went five innings giving up three runs and getting a win. (The only reason eh was pulled was the weather was horrible, and Wedge didn’t want Sabathia to re-injure his ankle…..Smart Points to Wedge!) In seven of his eleven starts he has gone into the seventh inning, not completing the seventh only one of those times. If it weren’t for these two guys the Indians would be doing much, much worse.

There is one more thing I would like to get off my chest, and that is the fact that Matt Lawton sucks! There is no way around it. What was Shapiro doing giving him an extension on his contract, when he hasn’t proven anything? The other day Shapiro said, “I think Matt will hit 25 homeruns, and drive in eighty runs”. This is pretty much a plug to try and get Lawton off his chest. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if they just cut Lawton. If I am Eric Wedge, than I tell Matt every time he swings at the first pitch of a count he is benched for the rest of the game. It is flat out ridiculous. In Friday’s game Matt swung at three first pitches, and they ALL resulted in pop-outs or lazy fly-outs. He is just swinging for the fences. There is no place for a guy like Lawton on this team, plain and simple.

I had to get something negative in there! Come one now. You didn’t think I would have a completely optimistic article, now did you?

LATEST TEAM INFO

As this is a fantasy sports site focusing on individual fantasy players, it makes sense to devote a column every once in a while to the fantasy status of individual players on the Cleveland Indians. For that reason, this column will be devoted solely to the fantasy status of individuals on this team.

We’ll start with the hitters, in order of at-bats:

SS Omar Vizquel - So far this year, Omar has struggled. His average is low, and he’s hitting only .220 over the past month. With minimal power and declining speed, there isn’t much left for fantasy owners to get out of this defensive whiz. He’s worth owning in AL-only leagues, but is quickly slipping as a fantasy factor in any other leagues.

LF Matt Lawton – If it were not for his hefty contract that makes him nearly impossible to deal, Lawton would not be on this team anymore. He has failed to ignite the team as a leadoff hitter, and the front office has become increasingly annoyed with his lack of production. Lawton simply isn’t a very good hitter when he’s not playing on turf, and the team certainly won’t be changing playing surfaces just to juice up the production of this underachieving veteran. Lawton is not a good fantasy option.

DH Ellis Burks – Burks is one of the more valuable fantasy hitters on this team, which isn’t saying much. He’s second on the team in homers and first in RBI, yet his average has slumped over the entire season, especially the past month. Burks could be traded to a contender before the trading deadline, but he has been reluctant to waive his no-trade clause in the past. Lack of positional eligibility hurts his fantasy value, and interleague play certainly will not help that value, either.

2B Brandon Phillips – Philips appears as though he could use some extra time in the minors, but the team is content on allowing him to learn at the big-league level. That means there will be plenty of future struggles, along with a relatively low average and poor plate discipline. The short-term struggles should make him a better player in the long-term, assuming they don’t hurt his confidence beyond repair. Not a great fantasy option this year, but watch out for the future.

C Josh Bard – No, Bard is not on a roster in most fantasy leagues. There’s a reason for that, as he’s primarily a defensive-oriented catcher. Very few fantasy leagues will reward players for defensive skills. Victor Martinez is waiting at Triple-A, although his production has dropped this year, also. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Martinez recalled sometime around September, possibly even a bit earlier.

OF Milton Bradley – Arguably the top fantasy option on this entire team, Milton Bradley has been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise gloomy season. He’s hitting .342-4-18-5, despite missing a good chunk of time due to injury. Most encouraging is his K-BB ratio, which currently sits at 25-25. That is exceptional for such a young hitter who has previously struggled in that area at the major-league level. Bradley should be a formidable fantasy force for the next decade, and that is no exaggeration.

1B Ben Broussard – Broussard is a hitter to keep an eye on, as he has provided solid production since taking over for an injured Travis Hafner. While Hafner is currently in Triple-A, Broussard has carried his spring training production into the regular season after a few struggles at Buffalo. Broussard has solid power, and could provide a nice average, also.

1B Travis Hafner – Hafner is now in Triple-A, and doesn’t appear to be in line for an imminent promotion to the majors. Broussard has filled in nicely during his injury stint, and will not be giving the job back to Hafner in the short-term future, barring an injury. Keep an eye on Hafner’s progress in the minors, as he might be recalled within the next month or two, which would allow the team to deal Burks.

3B Ricky Gutierrez – Injured – Gutierrez is starting a rehab assignment, which should last around three weeks in Triple-A Buffalo. He was nearly forced to retire due to his serious neck injury, but has made a continually solid comeback. Hopefully it will continue.

As for the pitchers….

SP C.C. Sabathia – Sabathia, along with Bradley, can be considered the top fantasy player on this entire team. He has been thrilling to watch, going 4-2 with a 2.92 ERA. His strikeout total is a bit lower than some would like, but it won’t matter if he continues to get the outs. Sabathia is finally stepping into the role of number one starter that the team envisioned when it traded away Bartolo Colon, carrying over a hot finish of 2002 into this season. Sabathia has been dominant over the past month, going 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP, including an increased strikeout rate. If there is ever a time to trade for Sabathia, this is it.

SP Ricardo Rodriguez – Rodriguez has been very inconsistent over the past month, yet is arguably the most talented pitching prospect in the organization. He has plenty of talent and youthfulness on his side, and should continue to have an up-and-down season. He is sure to have some rocky starts as teams figure out how to hit him, but he is intelligent enough to bounce back with some dominating wins. A keeper for the future.

SP Jason Davis – Davis has been another inconsistent rookie, yet has started to turn things around in recent games. His confidence was helped when the team kept him in the rotation despite the return of Jason Bere, even though Davis was being outpitched by Jake Westbrook at the time. Keep an eye on his next few starts, as his past few have been more than respectable.

RP Danys Baez – Baez has severe struggles for a few weeks about a month ago, but has begun to straighten things out over the past few weeks. His stats over the past month have been encouraging, and he appears to be regaining his old dominant form. When Baez is on, the only thing separating him from the elite closers of the league is having a winning team behind him. Things should change over the next few years for the quality of this team, which will be sure to raise his value in fantasy leagues. Baez is a very nice option in keeper leagues.

SP Jason Bere – Injured – Two weeks ago, this column recommended keeping an eye on Bere. The advice appeared valid, as he had a nice return from the DL against the Tigers. Bere, however, was injured in his second game back, and it appears as though he will be done for the year. That’s a shame, as his spring training, rehab starts, and two starts back from the DL provided great encouragement for his future this year. I truly believe that he would have surprised quite a few fans if healthy for the entire year.

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Aside from those names, there is minimal fantasy value for anybody else on this team. Disappointing, but true.